Sen. Chris Van Hollen says Abrego Garcia described being 'traumatized' at CECOT, has been moved

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated 5:56 PM EDT, Fri April 18, 2025


CNN — Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Friday detailed his recent meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying the Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador described being “traumatized” by his time at the country’s notorious CECOT prison and has since been moved.

“He said he was not afraid of the other prisoners in his immediate cell but that he was traumatized by being at CECOT and fearful of many of the prisoners in other cell blocks who called out to him and taunted him in various ways,” Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, told reporters at Dulles Airport near Washington, DC, after landing back in the US.

The US senator said Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, told him he had been moved from the maximum-security prison to another detention center nine days ago. “He’s no longer at CECOT,” Van Hollen said. “He’s at a different prison which is pretty far outside of San Salvador.” The senator shared that the new facility is in Santa Ana where “conditions are better” but did not provide additional details.

Van Hollen also claimed the Trump administration has committed to paying El Salvador $15 million to detain prisoners, including Abrego Garcia. He claimed that $4 million has been “paid out” so far.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/18/politics/chris-van-hollen-kilmar-abrego-garcia-cecot-el-salvador/index.html

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Full headline: Sen. Chris Van Hollen says Abrego Garcia described being ‘traumatized’ at CECOT, has been moved to different detention center

[Irish_Dem]

1. The publicity has given him better treatment?

Or is he being hidden in an unknown location now?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. They have several prisons

and I recall some articles where some of those deported from here went to those other prisons versus the "show" one - CECOT.

[Irish_Dem]

4. Thanks.

Perhaps it is safer in this other prison.
Bukele is making good money on this boondoggle.
Maybe he doesn't want to start killing US prisoners too quickly.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. I don't think any prison there is "safer" (per se)

but apparently CECOT is for those cartel types who probably have murdered who knows how many in turf wars, so in a relative sense, he wouldn't be with that crowd. I expect the others are like our prisons (and I was about to type "but worse"... but ours are pretty bad too, being overcrowded and understaffed, along with many having facility maintenance issues like lack of AC or reliable heat, etc).

IIRC, there were women sent to prisons in El Salvador as well.

I continue to maintain that if you wave enough $$$$ in Bukele's face, he'll do whatever you ask. I don't think Bukele is like a Duterte... at least yet. He is a bit of a nepo baby.

[AZJonnie]

2. So zero chance The Regime has not known for at least 8 days that this dude was moved

And nobody ever said shit? Not to the courts, not to his family & friends who've been terrified the whole time, nor to the public? What a band of absolute dickbags.

That said, very glad he's alive, and not in that hellhole anymore. 1 down, about 240 to go. Nobody should've been kidnapped from US streets and falsely imprisoned there without due process.

But in particular, now, where is the hairdresser!?!

[slightlv]

6. How do we protest and/or petition to NOT have our

tax dollars spent supporting such unconstitutional actions? Is there any place to petition your government, as the constitution says we have a right to do, without running into the "no standing" issue? I mean, I'd think if they're using MY money in MY name, they need MY okay. And there is no okay or perfect in this world any longer... if there ever was. But damn! When those tea party types... not to mention magats... pissed and moaned about how their tax dollars were being spent, stuff got done to remedy it. Gods, how I wish the Democrats would stand up and take up our causes en masse. Not just a brave soul, here and there.